US-12624484-B2 - Tufted articles, and systems and methods for making same

Abstract

Described herein are various systems and methods for forming tufted articles using a hollow needle tufting machine. The systems and methods can be used for tufting different types of yarns, such as turf yarns, staple yarns, or yarns having a denier greater than 5000. A system can have a pair of guides and a clevis movable between the pair of guides. The clevis defines an opening therethrough. The clevis and pair of guides are configured to engage a yarn to so that the yarn contacts only exterior surfaces of the pair of guides.

Inventors

• Kim K. Amos

Assignees

• SHAW INDUSTRIES GROUP, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20241113

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method comprising: forming a tufted article by tufting, by a hollow needle tufting machine, at least one yarn through a backing, wherein the hollow needle tufting machine comprises a system, the system comprising: a pair of guides spaced along a first axis; and an arm that is reciprocally linearly movable along a second axis between the pair of guides, wherein the arm defines a through bore through which a first yarn of the at least one yarn extends, wherein forming the tufted article further comprises retracting the first yarn from a needle of the hollow needle tufting machine by moving the arm along the second axis from a first position to a second position, and wherein the first yarn contacts only exterior surfaces of the pair of guides.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not comprise applying any air pressure via a pressure foot injector.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first yarn is a turf yarn.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hollow needle tufting machine has a plurality of needles, wherein sequential needles of the plurality of needles are spaced by a spacing that is from ½ inch to 2 inches.
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first yarn is a turf yarn.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hollow needle tufting machine has only one single row of needles.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving each guide of the pair of guides from a first use orientation to a second use orientation, wherein the pair of guides each comprise a plurality of openings therethrough; and threading each yarn of the plurality of yarns through a respective opening of the plurality of openings of each guide of the pair of guides.
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each guide of the pair of guides comprises a recess formed on a side of the respective guide.
9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first yarn contacts respective lower sides of the pair of guides.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pair of guides do not include holes configured to receive yarns below respective midlines of the pair of guides.
11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hollow needle tufting machine further comprises: a frame, wherein the pair of guides are coupled to the frame, wherein the arm is movably coupled to the frame; a manifold bar; a needle mounting bar; a plurality of needles mounted to the needle mounting bar; and a plurality of yarn delivery tubes extending from the manifold bar to the needle mounting bar, wherein the yarn extends through the arm, into the manifold bar, through a yarn delivery tube of the plurality of yarn delivery tubes.
12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hollow needle tufting machine comprises a pressure foot injector, and wherein the pressure foot injector applies no pressure greater than 10 psi while forming the tufted article.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the pressure foot injector applies a pressure from 1 psig to 5 psig while forming the tufted article.
14. 14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the pressure foot injector applies no pressure while forming the tufted article.
15. 15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the arm holds the first yarn away from contact with the exterior surfaces of the pair of guides when the yarn is in the first position.
16. 16 . A method of using a hollow needle tufting machine, the method comprising: applying a first pressure of above 90 psig through a manifold bar of the hollow needle tufting machine for feeding a yarn therethrough; and applying a needle injector pressure to a needle injector of the hollow needle tufting machine to advance the yarn through a hollow needle of the hollow needle tufting machine, wherein the needle injector pressure applied to the needle injector is above 90 psig, wherein the hollow needle tufting machine further comprises a system, the system comprising: a pair of guides spaced along a first axis; and an arm that is reciprocally linearly movable along a second axis between the pair of guides, wherein the arm defines a through bore through which the yarn extends; and wherein the method of using the hollow needle tufting machine further comprises retracting the yarn from a needle of the hollow needle tufting machine by moving the arm along the second axis from a first position to a second position, and wherein the yarn contacts only exterior surfaces of the pair of guides.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising, following applying the first pressure through the manifold bar, applying a second pressure through the manifold bar for holding the yarn, wherein the second pressure is lower than the first pressure.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second pressure is above 70 psig.
19. 19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising feeding the yarn through a respective opening of a plurality of openings through the manifold bar, wherein each opening extends along an axis that meets a vertical axis at an angle of at least 14 degrees.
20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein each opening extends along an axis that meets a vertical axis at an angle of from about 14 degrees to about 20 degrees.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/598,369, filed Nov. 13, 2023, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. FIELD This disclosure relates to systems and methods for forming tufted articles, such as turf, using hollow needle tufting machines. BACKGROUND Hollow needle tufting machines can deliver multiple colors or types of yarn to a single tufted article. Conventional hollow needle tufting machines typically include a plurality of yarns that can be held above and fed through a single hollow tufting needle. One known hollow needle tufting machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,961,647, granted Mar. 30, 2021, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. Conventional hollow needle tufting machines are unsuitable for many types of yarn, including staple fiber, wool, turf yarns, large yarns, and yarns that do not include or maintain a yarn twist. Accordingly, conventional hollow needle tufting machines are incapable of forming various types of tufted articles. SUMMARY Described herein are various systems and methods for forming tufted articles using a hollow needle tufting machine. The systems and methods can be used for tufting different types of yarns, such as turf yarns, staple yarns, or yarns having a denier greater than 5000. In one aspect, a system includes a pair of guides. A clevis is movable between the pair of guides. The clevis defines an opening therethrough. Yarn extends through the opening through the clevis. The yarn is configured to contact only exterior surfaces of the pair of guides. Also disclosed herein is a system including a manifold bar defining a plurality of openings configured to receive a respective yarn. Each opening extends along an axis that meets a vertical axis at an angle of at least 14 degrees. Also disclosed herein, in one aspect, is method including applying, using a pressure foot injector, a pressure less than 10 psi (e.g., from 1 psi to 10 psi). Optionally, the pressure foot injector does not apply pressure. Also disclosed herein, in one aspect, is method including applying a first pressure of above 90 psig for feeding or tufting a yarn; applying a second pressure for holding the yarn, wherein the second pressure is lower than the first pressure, wherein the second pressure is above 70 psig; and applying a third pressure to a needle injector of above 90 psig. Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will become more apparent in the detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a partial sectional elevational view of an exemplary tufting machine as disclosed herein. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary needle actuation assembly and an exemplary yarn cutting assembly as disclosed herein. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary control system of a tufting machine as disclosed herein. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary knife system and an isolated portion of an exemplary air delivery assembly as disclosed herein. As shown, the air delivery assembly can selectively displace portions of yarn tufts to prevent cutting of yarn tufts by the knife system. FIG. 5 is an end view of the knife system and air delivery assembly of FIG. 4. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram depicting a jerker of a conventional tufting machine. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram depicting the jerker of FIG. 6A is a retracted position. FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram depicting a jerker of an exemplary tufting machine as disclosed herein. FIG. 6D is a schematic diagram depicting the jerker of FIG. 6C is a retracted position. FIG. 7A is a schematic view of a guard of a jerker of a conventional tufting machine. FIG. 7B is a schematic view of a guard of a jerker as disclosed herein. FIG. 7C is a schematic view of the guard of FIG. 7B in an inverted orientation. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a manifold bar showing the difference between an inlet of a conventional manifold bar (broken lines) and an inlet of an exemplary manifold bar for use with turf yarn or other types of yarn (solid lines). FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary tufting machine as disclosed herein. FIG. 10 is an exemplary article being formed on a system as disclosed herein, the article hav